My everyday fight to control diabetes through healthy habits and alot of sweat!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

The Important Things In Life

With every twist and turn of life it is important to keep the big things in perspective. Whether we miss out on what we think is the "perfect job," the "perfect school," or the "perfect whatever," we have to continue to follow our hearts and keep that larger picture in mind. As a diabetic we are reminded of this on a daily basis, that one bad blood sugar reading doesn't mean we'll go blind tomorrow. As a triathlete this lesson is reinforced on a daily basis and as a maturing adult I'm realizing this balance will be emphasized throughout my life. We ultimately are all in charge of Myself Inc. and are responsible for the well being of our own corporations.

Today at 3pm I'll speak with my Coach about my planned marathon next week. I think there is a really good chance she'll tell me to pull myself from the event. Over the past couple weeks I have felt grossly unprepared to run 26.2 miles. Sure I had a great 1/2 marathon time of 1:50, an 8:23 mile pace but on all my runs sometime between 1 and 1/2 and 2 hours my body breaks down and my legs seize up. At 5'8 and 185 lbs I am not a long distance runner and I am not an endurance athlete - as a very wise friend once told me "you can't make a bulldog into a poodle." So I feel unpreparred not because I'm under trained - I've done everything prescribed to me, I fell unpreparred because I do not beleive my body is ready to take the pounding of a marathon.

I know in my heart by July 20th I'll be able to conquer the Ironman course in Lake Placid that is the goal, running the Shamrock Marathon is not. I need to be mature enough to understand that not running that marathon may be more beneficial than running the marathon - that the pain, cramps and body fatigue I will experience from that race could have serious negative effects to my training, not to mention my blood sugars and body.

My family and I must also consider the daily struggle my dog is going through. We can neither get too high nor too low as he experiences the ups and downs associated with chemo therapy. But it's tough not to stay positive and do everything you can to help out a guy that makes you this happy:

4 comments:

Ed, I am really sorry that your dog is going through a tough time. Those animals become such a part of the family and it is hard to see them in distress.

As far as the marathon goes, many people do their first marathon at an Ironman. It definitely is not necessary to run a marathon beforehand, in my opinion. And it can really detract from your training since the recovery can be tough and sometimes lengthy. My coach would probably recommend not doing a marathon within 5-6 months but there are, of course, many philosophies on this. A lot also depends on your running experience and your race schedule leading up to the Ironman. You will do plenty of long runs to prepare you physically. Probably the most important reason to do it would be to gain confidence, but you will get there too. Best wishes with your decision.

Hey! Though this might be late, firstly congratulations on your Darden admit. I just came across your blog and learned you are coming. I enjoyed browsing through blog and think its inspirational. You are doing great! Looking forward to meeting you soon. Sorry to hear about your Dog!Anand